stand for
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verb (intr, preposition)
to represent or mean
mainly British to be or become a candidate for
to support or recommend
informal to tolerate or bearhe won't stand for any disobedience
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Words nearby stand for
stand corrected, stand-down, standee, standfast, standfirst, stand for, stand guard, stand-in, stand in awe, stand in for, standing
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Example sentences from the Web for stand for
Idioms and Phrases with stand for
stand for
Represent, symbolize, as in The stars and stripes stands for our country. [Early 1600s]
Advocate, support, uphold, as in The National Writers Union stands for freedom of the press. [c. 1300] Also see stand up for.
Put up with, tolerate. This usage is generally in a negative context, as in Mother will not stand for rude behavior. [Late 1800s] Also see hold still for.
stand for something. Have some value or importance, as in She realized that appearances do stand for something. This usage dates from the mid-1800s but was preceded by stand for nothing, meaning “be worthless,” dating from the late 1300s. Also see stand in for.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.